Total births
13,986
Unisex name · since 2002
Harlow
Harlow has 13,986 recorded births since 2002 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2021 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #293
- among girls today
- 13,986
- born since 2002
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other girls
13,986 babies have been named Harlow since 2002, making it today's #293 unisex name.
Harlow has 13,986 recorded births among girls since 2002, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #293 as of the latest data, more common than 98% of girls, busiest in the 2020s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 2002 to 2025.
- #293 among girls today
- 13,986 born since 2002
- 2020s peak decade
- 98% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Harlow is currently the #293 unisex name in America, more common than 98% of girls - 13,986 born since 2002, peaking in the 2020s.
- #293
- among girls today
- 13,986
- born since 2002
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other girls
Harlow vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#293
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 98% of names given to girls today.
2020s
Peak decade
48% of everyone ever named Harlow was born in this single decade.
2021
Single peak year
1,278 babies were named Harlow in 2021 - its busiest year on record.
How Harlow compares
13,986 Top 7% higher than 93% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Harlow's all-time total is 37x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Harlow | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 13,986 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 1,278 | 48 | 19,840 |
Harlow's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Harlow's SSA record in two at 2014 and the more recent half accounts for 83% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 17%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 2002, with only 6 births recorded -- set against the 2021 peak of 1,278, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Harlow at a glance
Top 1,000 girls' namePeak year
2021
Current rank
#293
Active since
2002
Harlow popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 2002–2025
- Peak year (2021)
- 1,278
- Annual births at peak, across 24 years of records
Harlow popularity over time - boys
2,669 total births recorded since 1882 (Harlow as boys' name)
Harlow by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2020s was Harlow's strongest decade.
6,773 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 48% of all-time use.
Harlow births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 2000s 516
2000s
516 births
- 2010s
2010s
6,697 births
- 2020s
2020s
6,773 births
What this shows Peak: 2020s at 6,773 births (48% of all-time use).
How Harlow compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Harlow's total volume
Harlow vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Harlow by state
Where Harlow concentrates geographically, total births since 2002
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 1,723 | 12.3% |
| #2 | Texas | | 1,039 | 7.4% |
| #3 | Ohio | | 611 | 4.4% |
| #4 | Florida | | 562 | 4.0% |
| #5 | New York | | 516 | 3.7% |
| #6 | Pennsylvania | | 470 | 3.4% |
| #7 | Washington | | 462 | 3.3% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 450 | 3.2% |
California share of Harlow's total US births 12.3%
Even split
1,723 of 13,986 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 48 reporting states.
Harlow appears in 48 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Harlow? ▼
Since 2002, Social Security records show 13,986 babies named Harlow. Today it holds rank #293 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 2021, with 1,278 births.
When was Harlow most popular? ▼
Harlow was most popular in the 2020s decade with 6,773 total births. The single peak year was 2021.
Where is Harlow most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Harlow are California (1,723 births), Texas (1,039 births), Ohio (611 births).
Is Harlow a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Harlow is used for both boys and girls. As a girl's name it has 13,986 births, and as a boy's name it has 2,669 births.
How long has the name Harlow been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Harlow since 2002 -- 24 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Harlow? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Harper, Harriet, Harmony, Harley, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Harlow's data
- California records the most Harlows (1,723 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Harlow
Nearby Names Like Harlow
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Harlow
Harper Girl
#12 139,063 births
Harriet Girl
#1149 90,306 births
Harmony Girl
#264 36,226 births
Harley Girl
#396 31,167 births
Harriett Girl
#11124 21,621 births
Compare Harlow side by side: Harlow vs Harper Harlow vs Harriet Harlow vs Harmony
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Harlow
Kamila #292
20,098 births · Peak 2022
Octavia #294
23,978 births · Peak 2021
Luciana #291
16,629 births · Peak 2025
Kali #295
32,527 births · Peak 2019
Alanna #290
27,012 births · Peak 2025
Amari #296
21,288 births · Peak 2024
Leia #289
18,778 births · Peak 2023
Sawyer #297
18,338 births · Peak 2018
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 2002–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Harlow: #293 Unisex Name - 13,986 Births, Peak 2021." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/harlow. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Harlow draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.